Skinning machine attachment



- Nov. 4, 1941. 4 w. c. PIPER SKINNING' MACHINE ATTACHMENT Filed June 2, 1939 Willie? (291'! Piper INVENTOR- W ATTORNEY jlwc w Patented Nov. 4, 1941 UNITED STATS SKINNING MACHINE ATTACHMENT Walter Carl Piper, South St. Paul, Minn, assignor to Industrial Patents Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application June 2, 1939, Serial No. 277,060

4- Claims. (01. 146-130) This invention a es o a p e Skinat the narrowest possible limit to allow complete ning method and means therefor. removal of the skin without removal of an ex- In most localities, the retail trade demands cess of the fat. Knife I6 is fixedly secured withthet e11 a major portion of the skin be rein the machine as by brackets l8 which in turn moved from the flank surface of hams. To so are rigidly secured to cross members IQ of serve the housewife without a loss of profit to framework 6, Guard 20 of relatively rigid the Producer, it is ssary that a minimum of sheet metal material is rigidly afiixed to cross fat be removed with the skin. Also, to remove member 2| of framework 6, the skin and at the same time maintain a prod- The drum and knife elements hereinbefore deuet pleasing in appearance, it is d red h the m scribed may be substantially of the type illusline of severance between the skin removed and trated in th patent to Morrison, No, 1,790,592, the s n a d be r at v y s a ht a d even issued January 27, 1931, entitled Machine for red t t e p e o Severance between the moving skins from pork bellies, and no claim to removeid skin and retained fat be relatively th l ment p r se is made herein, smooth. The device of the present invention resides in It is the object of the present invention to an attachment which may be employed with the provide an improved method and means for ac- Morrison type machine and comprises member complishing the aforementioned purposes in a 22 for supporting away from and out of contact commercially practicable and profitable manwith knife It, the shank end 23 of ham 24 during her. skinning of the ham. Member 22 comprises an The device of the present invention is exemelongated, relatively rigid metal strip mounted plified in the Several figures shown in the transversely of the axis of, circumferentially in tached drawing in which like figures are used to spaced relation with, and in close proximity to designate similar elements. the peripheral surface of drum l. Described Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device 25 another wa member 22 may be said tobe exin which there is shown a ham being skinned in tended forwardly of the cutting edge I! in subaccordance with the present invention. stantially the same plane as the cutting edge I'I Figure 2 is a p a View of Figure 1, the means and having an edge 28 substantially at a right for driving the device being removed. angle to cutting edge I1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail taken substan- 30 As viewed in Figure 3, member 22 at one of its tially On line o F gure 2, showing a ham beends is bent to conform to the upper surface 25 ing skinned. of knife I6 and atthat end is welded or other- Figure 4 is a section through the supporting wise rigidly secured, as at 26, to the surface 25 member showing a modified form thereof. of knife l6. Member 22 at its opposite end 21 Figure 5 shows a ham skinned in accordance may be welded or otherwise rigidly secured to with the present invention. the undersurface of guard 20. In the form of In the device, drum I is pinioned or otherwise the device shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the uprigidly secured to shaft 2 journaled within suitper supporting surface of member 22 comprises a able bearings, not shown, mounted upon cross single plane throughout its width. In the modimembers 3. Cross members 3 are rigidly mountfied form of the device shown in Figure 4, memed between standards 4 and 5 of framework 6. ber 22 is provided at one of its longitudinal edges Drum I, as viewed in Figures 1 and 3, is rotated 28, preferably the edge adjacent the supported in a clockwise direction by power transmitted ham 24, with upwardly extended cutting edge from motor 1 through the medium of gear box 8, 29. Cutting edge 29, although not necessary to shaft 9, pulleys Ill and H and belt l2. 4 the successful operation of the device, provides The peripheral surface of drum .l is provided positive means for cutting the skin circumferwith a series of spaced longitudinal recesses l3, entially of the ham. each having a radial wall l4 facing in the di- In practicing the method of the present inrection of rotation of the drum and to which is vention,'an operator, not shown, places ham 24 rigidly mounted grab pins I5. on the machine substantially in the manner Knife blade It provided with cutting edge I], shown in Figure that is, the shank end 23 is rigidly afiixed longitudinally of, in spaced resupported against member 22 and out of contact lation with, and in close proximity to the pewith the cutting edge of knife l6, and butt end ripheral surface of drum l. The space between 30 pressed firmly against the rotating surface of cutting edge I! and the surface of drum I is fixed f drum I. As will be seen, the series of grab pins l5 next to approach ham 24 will pierce, as at 3!, the skin 32 of butt end 30, and carry it against the action of knife 15. It further will be seen that since shank end 23 is supported out of contact with knife blade [6, skin 32 will be severed circumferentially of ham 24 at approximately its line 33 of rotation against edge 28 of member 22.

It also will be seen that due to the relative toughness of skin 32 and the flexibility of its adjacent fat layer, skin 32 will readily flatten adjacent its line of movement against the cutting edge of knife I 6 and due to the close setting of knife l6 relative to the surface of drum I, only the skin 32 with a fair minimum of fat will be removed from the ham. A ham skinned in accordance with the present invention is shown in Figure 5.

I claim:

1. A ham skinning device including in combination with a movable surface provided with gripping means and a cutter extended transversely of and in close spaced relationship with the movable surface, means for supporting one end of the ham out of contact with the cutter comprising an elongated rigid member extended forwardly of the cutter above the movable surface and parallel to the path of movement of the movable surface, the member at one of its edges extended parallel to the path of movement of the movable surface being provided with an upwardly extending cutting edge.

2. In a ham skinning device including a rotatable drum provided with gripping means and a fixed cutter mounted transversely of and in close proximity to the peripheral surface of the drum, means for supporting the small end of the ham out of contact with the cutter comprising a rigid elongated member extended forwardly of the cutter and above and circumferentially of the drum surface, the member adjacent one of its side edges being provided with an upwardly extending cutting edge.

3. In a ham skinning device including in combination a movable surface, gripping means, and a cutter having a cutting edge mounted transversely of and in close spaced relationship with the movable surface, means for preventing contact of the skin on one end of a ham with said cutting edge, said means having a longitudinal severing edge forward of the cutting edge, in close proximity to and substantially overlying said movable surface in order to sever the removed skin from the skin retained on the ham.

4. A ham skinning device including a rotatable drum provided with gripping means and a cutter having a cutting edge mounted parallel to the axis of and in close proximity to the peripheral surface of the drum, means for preventing contact of the skin on one end of a ham with said cutting edge, said means having a severing edge forward of said cutting edge mounted transversely of the axis of, in close proximity to, and substantially overlying said rotatable drum in order to sever the removed skin from the skin retained on the ham.

VJ ALTER CARL PIPER. 

